NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - The Navy's E-2 Hawkeye aircraft are both the eyes and ears for carrier air wings flying combat missions.

More than just an airplane, the E-2 serves as a sophisticated 'early warning aircraft' and 'combat information center.'

That sophistication, coupled with the aircraft's spinning radar dish mounted on the fuselage, means the pilots and crew must spend hours preparing for each mission, crunching numbers long before take-off.